The present subject matter concerns both apparatus and methodology in such areas, including the use of embedded components in relation to printed circuit board components, for forming a transmitter or transceiver associated with an electricity meter.
A general object of metrology is to monitor a physical phenomenon to permit a record of the monitored event(s). If the ability to communicate recorded measurements or monitored data is impeded, then the basic purpose of the metering device and/or effort fails. Such basic function and purpose of metering devices can be applied to a number of contexts. One broad area of measurement relates, for example, to utility meters. These may include the monitoring of consumption of a variety of forms of energy or other commodities, such as electricity, water, gas, and oil, to name a few.
Historically, a mechanical form of register was used for utility meters. Such an approach provided a relatively dependable field device with certain inherent functional advantages. For example, if the flow of the consumable commodity being measured was interrupted, the mechanical form of gauge simply stopped in its place, automatically reflecting the previous accumulation without other arrangements being required, and without any loss of such accumulated data. After resumption of the flow of the commodity, the mechanical register could then simply begin to add additional flow values to the previous accumulation, so that accurate data was reflected at all times regardless of intermittent commodity flow interruptions.
Also, in many instances, the gauge or register required no separate power supply since it was operated directly by the commodity flow. In the case of electricity meters, the mechanical register could be electrically powered. Hence, when power was lost, the measurement function was temporarily moot so no measurement functionality was lost even though the gauge itself would be temporarily without power.
As the technology of metering devices progressed, mechanical registers began to be replaced with more electrical-based devices and electronic forms of registers. In addition, data transmission devices have been introduced that permit remote reading and/or control of utility meters, thus relieving utility companies of the need to visually inspect meters to obtain periodic reading, or of the need to visit a meter to undertake certain communications (for example, such as instructions) directed to the meter.
For example, in the case of an electricity meter, electric power is already flowing to and through the metering or measuring device. Such fact makes for a convenient supply of electricity, without having to attempt to rely on battery operation or some other source of electrical power. Thus, there is a ready source available to provide power for onboard transmitters and/or transceivers that may be used to transmit collected data to a remote location and/or to receive various command and/or control signals designed to modify or control the operation of the utility meter.
Regardless of such uses for communications, an inherent problem exists due in part to the fact that, when a relatively large number of such devices are in use, interference with other such devices or with other devices operating on similar frequencies, can create errors in the reception of transmitted data or control signals to or from the utility meter. Prior attempts have been made to address such technical problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,737,985 to Garrard et al. for Remote Metering, issued May 18, 2004, discloses an electricity meter including, among other features, an antenna system 120.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,785 to Bush for Demand Reporting of Electricity Consumption by Radio in Relays to a Base Station, and Demand Relays Wattmeters So Reporting Over a Wide Area, issued Jun. 20, 2000, discloses an electricity meter including an antenna that may correspond to a loop integral to a non conductive portion of the case.
A 2000 article entitled “Current Affairs—Advances in AMR technology” briefly discusses the use of PCS wireless modems with automated electricity meter reading systems using proprietary antenna fully contained within the meter chassis.